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Prayer: “Reversed Thunder”

We just finished a conference on prayer. To keep fanning the flames of zeal for a life of prayer, here is the most remarkable poem on prayer I know. It was written by George Herbert.

For me, the phrase “reversed thunder,” as a description of prayer, is worth more than a hundred explanations.

Prayer (I)

Prayer the Church’s banquet, Angels’ age, God’s breath in man returning to his birth, The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage, The Christian plummet sounding heav’n and earth; Engine against th’ Almighty, sinners’ tower, Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear, The six-days world-transposing in an hour, A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear; Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss, Exalted Manna, gladness of the best, Heaven in ordinary, man well dressed, The milky way, the bird of Paradise, Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul’s blood The land of spices; something understood.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books.